Gifts
by Euploea midamus
Summary: Let's give someone a gift anonymously! Who would receive what gifts from who? Stories for the couples NxM, RxH, KxS. Surprises & Twists! Bitter-Sweet & Hilarious!
1. S U R P R I S E S !

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is written by Higuchi Tachibana.

Summary:  
A 'game' that was meant to reconcilate two 'friends' turned out to bring about unexpectedly surprises (?).  
The 'couples' NxM, RxH, KxS each had their own story and 'troubles' (?).  
Read more to find out! =)

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One: S U R P R I S E S**

* * *

It was the second year of high school. A noisy couple was attracting every one's attention.

"You are loathsome! Nasty fox!!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX," an angry girl yelled in the classroom.

"Shut up, ugly girl," a calm voice replied.

This was the famous and sweet Natsume-Mikan couple that people were jealous of.

Since few years ago, all their classmates had already gotten used to their everyday flirting.

"They...... they are doing their usual routine again, aren't they, Imai,' Ruka spoke hesitatingly to a beautiful girl with short black hair and purple eyes.

Judging from the way Ruka called Hotaru, you might not feel any intimacy between them.

In fact, Ruka had been working for Hotaru without whining about anything. He obviously enjoyed doing so.

Basically every one around could feel that the way Ruka looked at Hotaru was particularly gentle. However, he was also particularly shy in front of Hotaru. He expressed his love for Hotaru to every one except Hotaru.

As for how Hotaru felt, it was a mystery. The only clue was obtained from her best friend, Mikan, "Hotaru seems to get pissed more easily." Mikan's instinct thought that it had something to do with Ruka.

In summary, the relationship between Ruka and Hotaru was cryptic.

Yet, the strangest relationship in this class so far was the one between Koko and Permy.

They had not talked to each other for more than a month.

Permy was avoiding Koko in a very explicit way. Every time when Koko wanted to get near Permy, whether it was an intention to talk to her, or to give her something, Permy would leave the scene immediately before Koko could get close to her.

All classmates find this dodging very unnatural. Even though some classmates had been asking Permy about it, she always found a way to switch topics for conversation.

According to Koko, he had absolutely no idea why Permy was doing so.

(Question: aren't you the mind-reader?

Answer: I can only read minds nearby. I can do nothing when I can't even get close to her.)

Koko was still bearing his usual friendly smile on his face, however, one can sense a glimpse of sadness from his eyes. Apparently, Permy's deliberate alienation was causing hurt to Koko.

-

In view of this, a certain enthusiastic brunette would definitely do something about this. Mikan gathered some classmates for a meeting to reconcile Koko and Permy. Tsubasa heard there was something interesting going on here, so he joined the discussion.

"Let's play a game called 'Exchanging Gifts'!," Mikan said excitedly, "We will draw lots to determine who we need to give the present to. Besides, the identity of the giver will remain unknown to everyone. Of course, it's up to you if you want to reveal your identity to the receiver. With this, Koko and Permy can give something to each other anonymously, it may be a means for them to start communicating!"

"But... if it's drawing lots, Koko and Shouda may not pick each other by chance," Ruka asked.

"Don't worry! I am sure Hotaru can invent a special machine for drawing lots?" Mikan beamed at Hotaru eagerly.

"Machine design fee twenty thousand dollars, usage fee twenty thousand dollars," Hotaru coldly replied.

Everyone became speechless instantly.

When every thing was ready, Mikan tried her very very best to persuade Permy to join them. Permy could not stand the persistent invitation from Mikan, so she finally joined unwillingly.

After Mikan invited Koko, she kept standing next to him, and used Nullifying Alice to prevent Koko from reading their minds.

The participants of this 'Exchanging Gifts' game were: Mikan, Natsume, Hotaru, Ruka, Yuu, Tsubasa, Koko, and Permy.

Hotaru had already planned to set the machine in such a way that she would only pick herself, so that she did not need to bother about choosing presents.

Natsume had the same thought, he glared at Hotaru, telling her through his eyes, "You understand what I want, don't you?"

Hotaru replied through her eyes, "No problem, ten thousand dollars please."

-

While the eight of them were about to go to Hotaru's lab, Narumi walked towards them.

Despite being an elementary school teacher originally, he also promoted to the middle school division and then the high school division in order to accompany the students he liked. These years, he had been watching over his beloved students, seeing how they grew up, and how they began to encounter teenage problems.

"Are you guys preparing to do something interesting?" Narumi asked with a smile on his face.

Mikan explained her idea of the game to Narumi, skipping the aims of the game of course, because Koko and Permy were right next to them. After listening to the details, Narumi decided to join this entertaining game as well.

"No problem!" Mikan happily exclaimed. Since the reconciling plan targeted to Koko and Permy, it would not hurt to have more people joining.

Unexpectedly, Narumi took out a piece of paper and said, "Let's start the game right now! We can cut this paper into small pieces, and then write our names on them, and begin drawing lots!"

Mikan quickly interrupted, "Wait a second! Hotaru has invented a drawing lot machine for this, let's go to her lab now!"

Permy cut Mikan short, "It's only drawing lots, right? There's no need to undergo so many troubles. Narumi sensei's suggestion is good enough."

Mikan tried to persist, "But..."

Permy said impatiently, "Why do you need to hesitate? Is it because that drawing lot machine has something special in it?" It seemed that she wanted to end the whole thing as early as possible.

Mikan nervously said, "Of course not! That machine is just a normal one for drawing lots." She got a feeling that her facial expression would betray her when she lied, so she quickly said something to distract Permy, "Okay, so let's start preparing the papers!"

Others who knew about the aim of this game jaw-dropped, and thought, "How about the original plan?"

When Narumi saw the others looking bewildered, he asked happily, "Why do you all have such a dull expression? It's such a previous opportunity to play a game together, so be happy!"

After writing their names on papers, Narumi repeated the rules for the game, "After we draw the lots, we need to give a present to the person whose name is on the paper we pick. The results of the drawing lots will not be made known, unless you want to reveal your identity yourself.

Every one of us will prepare a gift that you think your receiver needs the most, or a gift that your receiver will feel the happiest. Since it's going to be anonymous for all of us, we can somehow be impudent, hahaa!

Three days later, after writing the receiver's name of the present, bring it to the classroom and put it in a big black bag. We will take our gifts that day. Remember to be secretive!!"

Mikan was getting very excited. The so-called reconciling plan had already been thrown away from her mind.

Ruka, Yuu, Koko and Permy simply took things as they are. Tsubasa always looked forward to any kind of game.

As for Natsume and Hotaru, "Tch, that's troublesome!" was what they had in their minds.

-

Once everyone picked their pieces of paper, they carefully looked at the names written on them. Each of them displayed different facial expressions.

Ruka, Yuu and Permy started thinking seriously.

When Koko, Tsubasa and Narumi saw the names, they came cross with good ideas at once. They all grinned at their clever thoughts.

Mikan stared at the paper for some time. Suddenly, she had a nice thought. She nodded with satisfaction and smiled sweetly.

When Hotaru was unfolding the paper, she kept wishing to see her own name. At the same time, she started planning, in case she picked someone else, she would just prepare that horse hoof or deer hoof. Nevertheless, she changed her mind the moment when she saw the name. She said to herself, "Maybe this time it's worth planning about this." As she was thinking this way, a smile appeared on her face without her noticing it.

Natsume reluctantly unfolded to paper. Well, he was never good at thinking what to give others, apart from certain targets of course. Since getting closer to his fellow students, he did not want to tackle the game in a perfunctory manner. However, at the same time, he was really unwilling to choose gifts carefully. Yet, he gave a huge relief when he saw the name, and said to himself, "That's really great!"

-

Three days were not too long and not too short. Everyone was doing their job to prepare the gifts.

Ruka, Yuu, Narumi and Mikan contentedly looked at their gifts chosen after long and careful consideration. They said to themselves, "Hope this will be helpful for xxxxxx."

As for Koko and Tsubasa, whenever they looked at their gifts, they could not help laughing, because they could imagine how the receivers reacted once they saw the gifts. They thought, "I am sure xxxxxx will definitely like it!"

Hotaru and Permy thoughtfully wondered, "Should I really give this gift?" Both of them had never ever imagined that they would have such a frustrating day in their life.

As for Natsume, choosing this gift was way too simple, he was reading manga leisurely to kill time.

-

That day finally came. All of them gathered in the classroom. After they took their own gifts, they slowly opened the wrappings. Then, they showed different reactions.

Yuu gratefully looked at the massage machine in his hand, thinking, "Ever since I became the special star student, I have been so busy and I get tired very easily. This gift is awesome!! Thank you so much!!!!"

Narumi's hand was holding a stack of coupons for a number of fashion boutiques. "Oh!! Wao!!! That's GREAT!!!! Some of them are well-known shops for ladies. I can easily increase the variety of clothes in my wardrobe!!" He got more excited as he continued to imagine.

Permy's gift was a card, with beautiful scenery on the cover. She opened the card and saw there was only one line on the card.

A line that made her stunned right away:

**"He likes you too.****"**

She unconsciously lifted up her head, and incidentally looked into Koko's eyes. She immediately felt her cheeks burning like hell, and her heart beating so hard that it was going to stop functioning soon. The feelings were so overwhelming that she fearfully rushed out of the classroom.

When Koko looked at his gift, he quickly shot a gaze at Permy. It was exactly the time when Permy looked up. He could not react at Permy's abrupt departure, however, before he could think rationally, his legs automatically started running at the direction where Permy had just left.

Every one else in the room was amazed at how Koko and Permy reacted. Were they lucky enough to pick each other by chance? They could no longer do anything for them at this moment, so they just hoped in the their hearts that both of them could make up eventually. They continued to unwrap their presents.

Tsubasa was VERY surprised when he saw his gift:

**One ticket for "Honeymoon Theme Park"**  
entrance time: coming Sunday

"Honeymoon Theme Park"? It was the place where he wanted to date Misaki. He recalled his sad memory.

Last week, he tried hard to give hints to Misaki that he wanted to bring her to this park. Yet, she refused right away as she saw the word "Honeymoon".

Just when Tsubasa was thinking to himself, "who was that inconsiderate person that make such a fun of himself", he saw a note attached to the ticket saying,

**Tsubasa senpai,  
I have already dated Misaki senpai for you! Good luck!**

Tsubasa sensed a warm feeling emerging from his heart.

Then, Tsubasa looked at Ruka, he quickly put his hand on his mouth to withhold his laughter.

Ruka's gift was a book:

**"What Women Want Men to Know – Special Version****"**

Tsubasa and Narumi gently laid their hands on Ruka's shoulders, giving him a warm caring look and smile. Seeing Ruka's embarrassing look, Yuu and Natsume turned their head away in order not to laugh at Ruka.

After Hotaru glanced at Ruka, she maintained her attitude of "none of my business". Taking advantage of this moment when all others attention were still at Ruka, she went to a corner and looked at her gift:

**a white envelop**

She opened the raised her eyebrows.

Oh My God! It's CASH!! Sixty thousand dollars!! (It was equivalent to the amount of new year pocket money for special star student.)

Hotaru smiled happily, "It's really surprising that I could get such a good gift in this game."

Natsume hid his gift once he saw what it was. He did not want others to see it. But at the same time, he proudly smiled to himself,

"That's the usual brand and size. That idiot really likes that a lot!"

What Natsume received was:

**Alice Brand – Pleasuremax X Performax Condoms (XL)**

Natsume knew that Mikan would be in a good mood whenever she received gifts. He could not help looking forward to today's night-time, when happiness could undergo unlimited expansion. He gently looked at Mikan's direction.

Sadly, what Natsume got in return was a pair of angry, sad eyes.

"Natsume, I really HATE you!!!" Mfikan screamed madly. She picked up her gift and ran out of the classrooms, leaving all others in the room shocked.

Mikan kept running and running, tears came down silently. She recalled that night, when it was supposedly a sweet memory.

-

One night, the two of them lied peacefully on bed.

Mikan asked, "Natsume, you said you will give me something soon, what are you planning to give me?"

Without second thought, Natsume replied, "Bra and panties with strawberry prints."

Mikan, "Don't you feel embarrassed when you go to the shop to buy these?"

Natsume thought to himself, "Idiot, one can order through mail or internet."

Mikan continued, "But how can you buy? You don't know my size."

Natsume replied casually, "The smallest one is well enough."

Mikan felt very offended, "You... You!!!!!!"

Before she could think of how to rebut, she heard that Natsume had fallen asleep.

It seemed to be a fact that guys like girls with exquisite sensual curves. Maybe Natsume was not an exception?

Mikan sighed at such a depressing thought, she felt her eyes getting watery. She thought to herself, "It's not my will to look like this."

However, every time when Natsume touched her, she always felt the gentle yet violent love from Natsume. Natsume should be different from other guys. He would not stop loving me simply because of my body shape. With such thoughts, she smiled her tears away.

-

Unfortunately, looking at the gift she received, she felt an extremely strong sense of inferiority about her body.

So Natsume also hoped for girls with big boobs?

Mikan finally cried her heart out as she was overcome by feelings of sorrow.

Mikan was always longing for Natsume's present. However, she never thought she would get this from the game of "Exchanging Gifts":

**a bra and panties with strawberry prints**

The size of the bra was 36D.

Yes, it was 36D.

Worst still, there was another irritating thing in the gift:

**Perfect Women Brand – Breast Enhancing Lotion Advance Formula**  
specially designed for women with underdeveloped breasts  
allows you to reach a size of 36D or above  
effective for 10 hours

_to be continued..._

* * *

The setting of the story is second year of high school (in case you have forgotten XD)

Can you make a guess who gives which gift to who?

**Please review! **;)


	2. NOT THAT INTO YOU

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is written by Higuchi Tachibana.

I am sorry for not updating the story for a long time.  
I wrote this story in my mother tongue language first and then translated it into English. That's why the efficiency is rather low.  
(Thanks to **Chattykitkat**, your review simply gave me an instant motivation to do the translation right away XD)

By the way, as the story proceeds, the flow will become slower, and the chapters will become CP-oriented.

This chapter will be about...

* * *

**Chapter Two: NOT THAT INTO YOU**

* * *

Ruka walked towards Hotaru, "Imai, what… what've you received?"

"Money," it was Hotaru's answer, clear and concise as usual.

Ruka gasped in admiration, and thought to himself, "If I were the one to give her a present, would I prepare that gift as well?"

"How about you?" Hotaru coolly asked.

"……" Ruka lowered his head and stared at the book on his hand – **"****What Women Want Men to Know – Special Version****"**

"I see," Hotaru said using a "no wonder" tone. Then she turned and left the room.

Narumi and Tsubasa tapped Ruka's shoulder gently, beaming at him with a warm caring smile and said, "You'd better hurry up to go back to your room and read the book!"

-

The book appeared to be a plain, thin one, however, Ruka had a feeling that it was specially made fit for him. It was because all the contents were applicable to him… and her.

_  
"If she treats you with a standoffish attitude, always keeps herself aloof from the conversation with you,  
please acknowledge the fact that, you are not 'the one' in her heart."_

Ruka immediately thought of Hotaru's expressionless short replies, like "Oh?", "I see" etc…

Why do I suddenly think of Imai?

Well, it's true that most of the time, Imai doesn't respond to my SMS, but it's probably because Imai is always very busy……

_  
"If your SMS or phone calls elicit no response frequently, you have to understand that she is rejecting you.  
Please DO NOT find excuses for yourself, thinking that 'she may be busy at work' or 'her cell-phone is running out of battery'."_

Ruka became speechless.

_  
"Never believe 'girls are just being shy and reserved'. If you realize all the dating is initiated solely by you,  
or you never receive SMS or phone calls from the girl, please leave this hopeless relationship yourself." _

Ruka thought to himself, Imai really never dates me.

However, Imai will send SMS to me or call me. Even though every time it's asking me to buy things for her, or asking me to go to her laboratory to help her……

_  
"If she always finds you when she needs help, and nowhere to be seen when she does not need help,  
she simply considers you as her labor and problem solver." _

It rendered Ruka dumbfounded again.

_  
"If she expects you to pay for her every time, in her eyes, you are an ATM only."_

Speechlessness continued.

_  
"Never have a thought that 'she does so and so is for testing you'.  
If she makes you do embarrassing things or gives you unreasonable demands,  
please DO NOT think that she is examining your capacity or sincerity.  
You have to apprehend that she simply does not know how to appropriately draw the line at rejecting you."_

Regarding "embarrassing things" and "unreasonable demands", Ruka remembered his experiences as experimental trials for Hotaru's invention, as well as those awkward photos taken by Hotaru……

After that, Ruka's mind wandered slowly to the past, and began his soliloquy…

_-_

When did Imai and I start to have this 'indescribable' relationship of 'dubious'(?) 'good-friends'(?) between us?

The beginning should be traced back to the time when we were ten years old.

That time, I met Sakura. I hoped I could stay by her side to care for her, and to be presentable in front of her.

I knew Natsume liked Sakura too.

Natsume was a gentle person, I knew he would be able to protect and treat Sakura well. He was a suitable person for Sakura. If they did become a couple, I would willingly admit defeat, and I would not feel worried.

However, the one who truly made the decision was Sakura. As long as she did not fall in love with anyone, I still had the opportunity to be the one she liked.

That was why I would not give up right away, though I realized Natsume had great influence on Sakura.

Whenever Sakura felt distressed, he could rapidly help her restore her usual optimistic self.

Yet, that moment, I still did not think my chance was completely eliminated. After all, I was the first one who received Valentines' chocolates from her. When she was with me, she would appear shy and blushed.

So, until when did I finally realize Sakura had feelings for Natsume?

I think it should be during that year's Sports Festival. I could see that her gaze kept chasing Natsume. Her attention rested on Natsume. This was her feeling. This was her choice. My heart still beat quickly every time when Sakura was around me, but I somehow understood that there was no room for me to get involved.

Not to mention the bonding between them even existed before their birth.

After all the troublesome events ended, they naturally got into a relationship.

(Question: [angrily] Hey! Aren't you recalling the past about you and Hotaru? Why was it all about Mikan?)

(Answer: I…… I……was about to mention Imai.)

On the very first day when Natsume and Sakura started walking hand in hand, all fellow students, except Imai and I, left the classroom after class.

I was sitting on my seat, when I raised my head, I looked into Imai's eyes.

Until now, I still remembered that pair of amethyst eyes very clearly.

I did not know if it was telepathy or what, I unexpectedly felt that Imai was asking me, "About Mikan…… Are you okay?"

I was certain that she did not open her mouth at all; nevertheless, I could surely 'hear' her question.

Though I was caught unprepared, I surprisingly felt relieved, which made me tranquilly confess everything.

"If I tell you I do not feel depressed or disappointed, that's absolutely a lie. I bet every one hopes that the one they like also like them back? I believe every person wants to be the one who can make their beloved ones feel the happiest; and the one who is the most effective one to cheer them up; as well as the one who can accompany them for the rest of their life.

However, in real life, there is no one who will definitely fulfill one's desires. I know that 'feelings' are something that can never be 'forced'. I am aware of the fact that I cannot insist on things that do not belong to me. The moments between Sakura and I give me good memories. I can declare firmly that I have no regrets at all. Moreover, if her partner is Natsume, I can set my mind at rest.

In response to my long rambling talk, Imai slightly narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious.

Subsequently, I could, once again, felt that she was asking me through her eyes, "Are you sure you are okay?"

I reassured her, "Don't worry, I am fine. Thank you, Imai."

-

Peaceful everyday school-life lasted for a period of time. One day, I abruptly discovered that I was observing Imai. When did I start to have this practice? I had no idea at all.

My hunch was that, I have unwittingly turned my attention to her since the day I experienced 'telepathy' from her pair of purple eyes.

Imai was a well-known stunner. Her beauty could undoubtedly withstand scrutiny. She was of an elegant and eminent disposition. Whether it was a tiny frown or smile, despite their rareness, always carried great charisma.

To me, her most attractive component was still that pair of eyes which were looking ahead resolutely. Those eyes had the expression of determination, as if she could confidently face everything on her own.

Whenever Imai was alone, whether she was sitting or walking, there was always an aura of individualism about her. It seemed she had gathered air from a different world around her. Despite her aloofness, I could not take my eyes off her. I had an unbelievable inclination to approach her.

-

"Imai, are these new order forms for your invention?" Even though I knew that she was entrusted by the Academy and the companies outside for making innovative products, I was shocked at the thickness of papers that were densely filled with words.

"Yes," Imai gave her usual short reply.

That time I was thinking, her job seemed to be very heavy, I wondered how she spent her time during work, and how her workplace looked like.

All of a sudden, Imai said, "You can come to my laboratory, but you have to be prepared to run errands for me."

That was how I started to be Imai's free labor.

In fact, it was not only "free labor"; it was more like being a subsidizer? I used my own money to buy machine parts or equipments for her every time.

However, I did not even mind a bit. Money was meant to be spent because firstly, "money goes, money comes"; and secondly, I could not bring money to my coffin. As I was brought in a well-off family, maybe that was the reason why I did not care too much about money? Moreover, when I was a nominal three-star back then, I kept receiving "ill-gotten" pocket money. Now I could spend that money meaningfully, to me, that was really great.

What I had not expected was that, while I was helping Imai, I had a chance to find out her bitterness unknown to others.

The number of order forms she got went on increasing, so she constantly had to work hard to meet the deadlines. Apart from handling her own studies, she needed to read lots of reference books to teach herself knowledge for invention. She also needed to go out and buy necessary tools and equipments.

Prior to having me as a voluntary labor, did she manage all these by herself? When I thought of her carrying such a huge burden alone, I could only be filled with profound respect.

Besides, I realized that in the research field, even a genius who had a powerful Alice of invention, could never achieve 100% success for every new creation. Before the product was being made, no one could guarantee the novel idea was practical. Only via monotonous experimentation and continuous exploration, could one know the answers.

People know you for what you've done, not for how much effort you put in. This is particularly applicable to research work. I always saw Imai broke her newly-made invention apart, re-designed, and broke apart again, re-designed once more…… In order to have a possibility to succeed, going from failure to failure continually was the only way.

No doubt fruits of success were awesomely sweet; recurring failures along the way and the unpredictable nature of research would still unavoidably bring stress and depression. When she encountered those negativism and exhaustion, she had to cheer up herself and go on working patiently.

I guessed I finally understood why Imai had such great charisma. It was her imperturbable temperament that made her so eye-catching.

The longer I worked with Imai, the more I noticed she indeed shared a lot of similarities with Natsume. Both of them hardly ever talked about themselves. Yet, if one paid enough attention, one could obtain some clues from the aura that they emitted or from the subtle changes in their facial expression.

-

One day, I went to her laboratory after I finished buying things for her. I saw her sitting at her desk thoughtfully, with her chin resting in one hand. She was not facing me, but I could deeply sense her physical and mental fatigue.

"Imai, are…"

Are you okay?

Her look made me feel so anxious, but how should I phrase my concerns in words?

"I am okay," she turned her head, facing me, and said serenely.

Eh? Why did she know what I wanted to ask? Was she able to read people's minds?

"Only Koko can read minds," she spoke composedly and then turned her head away.

!!!!!!!!! Then how could one explain what you just did??

I observed her carefully again. That was the first time I saw her look so discouraged. Those pitiful and tiring expressions in her eyes gave me a stab at my heart. I did not want her to have such looks; I wanted to do my best to help her. However, what should I do? Or I should ask… what COULD I do? How could I help her?

She looked at me again, and out of the blue she said, "I am hungry now."

"Eh?" I remembered that time I was astonished at her unexpected remark.

"I don't have time to go out now, but I want to eat Crab's General Restaurant's Crab Meat Tofu and King Crab Sashimi. I also want to have Soft Shell Crabs and Snow Crab Clusters from Crab Paradise, and finally, Hokkaido Crab House's Steamed Crab Pot and Cream of Crab Soup."

I was stupefied right away.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Imai asked with a sly smirk.

Since then, I frequently bought meals for her.

(Question: Were you using your money again?)

(Answer: ………………Yes……)

I knew she liked eating seafood, so every time I heard of any good seafood restaurants, I would invite her to dine out.

(Question: Were you the one paying the bills again?)

(Answer: ………………… [nodding shyly])

Imai looked amusing when she was eating, she would exhibit adorable expressions in front of delicacies. She ate a lot more than I did, sometimes I could not help wondering if her stomach was a black hole… (Though it might not be graceful to describe a girl this way, she…… really ate like a horse…)

It seemed that she did not bite the food; she would continuously put mouthfuls of food into her mouth, as if someone would steal her food if she did not eat fast enough. This childlike act did not match her usual impression at all. (That's kind of cute somehow.) The moment when her stomach was finally full, in the blink of an eye, a contented smile would appear on her face. Even if the smile vanished in a flash, it had truly existed.

In order to cope with increased expenses, whenever I did not need to help Imai, I would work as a vet in a clinic inside the Academy to earn some extra income. I also started to learn managing finances.

My alice could not assist her work, I could help her nothing except running errands and buying food for her. Imai was a talented person, and she might not need any help at all, yet, she was still a human being who had fresh and blood and emotions. I just hoped she could feel that she was never alone.

As long as her smile could be cherished, as long as it was within my ability, I would do everything I could for her.

Although her smile was rare……

Although her smile was never for me……

Recently, Sakura asked me in front of some classmates whether I liked Imai. Frankly speaking, I never felt comfortable talking about this kind of topic in public.

However, I knew the answer was positive.

I like Imai.

As for how Imai thought of me… eh…

-

Ruka came back from his thoughts, and saw the last page of **"What Women Want Men to Know – Special Version"**:

_"Regarding to the previous descriptions, if more than two of them is applicable to you,  
it implies a very regrettable situation… Please love and protect your own heart.  
Don't waste time on a girl who is NOT into you."_

_to be continued..._

* * *

Thank you to my reviewers and those who set alert or favorite for my story!! =D

Special thanks to **rukaru-romance passion** and **nowaythasnotfair **for your continuous support.

**PLEASE REVIEW**!! ^^


	3. P M: Part I

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is written by Higuchi Tachibana.

The title is the abbreviation of the real one, which will somewhat reveal the contents of the entire chapter, that's why I leave it like this for the time being. =P

This is the 'introduction' part for the whole chapter 3, who is it about? Please read! =)

**

* * *

**

Chapter Three: P M (Part I)

* * *

The game 'Exchanging Gift' brought unanticipated 'results'. The observant raven-hair girl secretly paid attention to every one in the room.

She noticed how shocked Permy was once she saw her gift. Together with her reaction and changes in facial expression after looking at Koko, she deduced that Permy's gift was related to Koko. According to Hotaru's speculation, Permy became estranged from Koko was simply because she was flustered with her own realization, and did not know how to handle the situation. Her pretense of tranquility that lasted for more than a month got an instant-kill by her gift.

Watching Koko chased after Permy, it was likely that their 'problem' would no longer be a 'problem'.

Baka Shadow changed from looking defeated to giving a sweet smile; his gift was related to Misaki, wasn't it?

Once Natsume opened his gift, oh my God, he looked sooooo pleased. The present definitely had something to do with his _beloved_ _vigorous_ activity.

As for Mikan, her responses suggested that the thing she received made fun of her body shape. That was indeed the GREATEST landmine for Mikan. The gift was probably an unintentional joke, and the only possible culprit was HIM. It was because among all the people in the room, there was only one BAKA who would dig his own grave using such a stupid way.

If it was the usual Hotaru, she would grasp the chance and blackmailed that culprit. However, today's Hotaru merely wanted to leave the room as quickly as possible to stay away from the crowd.

Hotaru could not help thinking to herself, "I should have brought the egg hamlet with me, so that no one can see my face."

After skimping the conversation with Ruka, Hotaru walked away promptly. She maintained her usual walking gesture: keeping her back straight, eyes focusing on the ground in front of her, walking leisurely.

Wherever she walked past, students could not tear their admiring glances away from her figure. Hotaru remained unruffled and continued her pace with composure.

When she entered her dormitory, closed the door behind her back, she was finally alone. She immediately felt relaxed throughout her whole body. In contrast to ordinary days, her stroll just now required her to do her utmost to complete it cautiously, in order to uphold her usual graceful exterior.

Little did Hotaru imagine that walking could be so tiring…

These days she had been drowning in her thoughts, and she had spent so much time and effort to prepare. Today, the gift was given out lastly, she should feel relieved and hassle-free, shouldn't her?

How come the feelings she was having now had no way to be called 'relaxed'? She did not exert any force, but the eyebrows frowned by themselves. The furniture and decoration in the room was the same as usual, but they looked irritating in her eyes at this moment.

Was she going into a sulk now? Hotaru did not bother to identify this sentiment. Knowing it was not a 'comfortable' emotion was more than enough. To get rid of this 'uncomfortable' feeling, she decided to find something to do in her laboratory.

This so-called 'laboratory' was actually one of the rooms inside her residence. Being a special star in the Academy, along with her outstanding invention Alice, the Academy assigned a super-high-class suite for her. The room was divided into two halves, one side was an regular bedroom, and the other was a laboratory full of equipments.

She sat at her work desk, trying to find a task that could arouse her interest among the thick pile of order forms. Yet, shortly after the search, the hands that were holding the forms turned out to hold her chins.

She had zero enthusiasm.

Despite the heavy workload and pressure, Hotaru understood very well that her Alice could help those in need. In the past, this belief had been supporting her to keep up her work, but… not now anymore?

Hotaru tried to comfort herself, "Maybe none of the orders are due tomorrow, and people had the greatest incentive only when it's last minute. Hn, this is probably the reason."

While Hotaru was randomly looking for something to kill time, she spotted a photo at the edge of her eye. It was a photo taken a month ago: Ruka was surrounded by more than ten girls. He looked very embarrassed whereas the girls by his side all looked extremely intoxicated. This contrast was amazingly comical. No matter how many times Hotaru looked at this photo, she always found it hilarious.

This photo was the recent best-seller. Apart from the edited Ruka's solo snapshot, those combinatorial photos of Ruka with his fan-girl one by one were popular. This month, Hotaru laughed all the way to the bank.

It should be the exact same day when this photo was taken. Hotaru remembered…

That day, it was the first time someone asked me such a question…

_  
to be continued..._

* * *

Thank you to my reviewers and those who set alert and favorite for the story!!! ^3^

**Please review! ^^**

to **rukaru-romance passion**: i agree, not many reviews reduce motivation, and I do hope to read more varieties of fanfictions, thanks for reviewing again!!! =D btw, hope you can figure out who gave what gifts to who =P

to **nowaythasnotfair**: I'll try my best to continue the story, & hope that I can maintain the quality... (feel kind of stressed) thanks for your support!! ^3^

to **Facon de Parler**: thanks! I want to try writing about how characters feel, and I am not skillful in making the story interesting... so the story flow is slow... hope you'll still enjoy reading! =)


End file.
